ABSTRACT
The secular tradition of India, what we refer to as the accommodationist framework, is studied in this chapter. We begin by looking at British colonial secularism and asking what its impact was on India as it installed its own secular framework during its constitutional convention at independence. The tendency of Indian secularism to stress the principles of equality, toleration and freedom of conscience is discussed as are some drawbacks of accommodationism. We close by looking at current attacks on secularism by Conservative nationalist Hindu groups, in particular their charge of “minority appeasement” and how it favors Muslims.
